An acrid haze hanging over western Malaysia, including the capital Kuala Lumpur, could worsen in the next few days as fires continue to burn in Indonesia and Malaysia, officials said today.

"There is also the possibility of the conditions worsening over the next few days since the winds are blowing our way and we are getting dry weather," said Muhammad Helmi Abdullah from the Meteorological Department's forecasting office.

The haze moved over Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley on Tuesday afternoon, covering the Petronas Towers and permeating buildings with the smell of smoke.

Morning rains today improved visibility and cleared some of the brown smog, which made the front pages of major dailies. But by lunchtime the pall over the city had returned, bringing with it the smell of burning.

Blazes in Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as a peat fire near Kuala Lumpur and the current southwest monsoon season have been blamed for the hazy conditions.

States in central-western Malaysia, including Perak, Selangor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan were worst hit by the haze, Muhammad Helmi said.

Peat fires in Cyberjaya

The Environment Department's deputy director general Lee Heng Keng said whether the haze continued would depend on weather conditions and action taken by Indonesian authorities over fires in Sumatra.

The department has said the problem is being caused by nearly 600 fires in Indonesian provinces in Riau and northern Sumatra, as well as blazes in Indonesia's Kalimantan and Malaysia's eastern state of Sarawak.

Peat fires which started Monday in Cyberjaya, south of Kuala Lumpur, have also contributed to the smoky conditions in and around the capital, Muhammad Helmi said.

"It's partly caused by the burning in Indonesia but most of the haze that we're experiencing is due to the open burning in our vicinity," he said.

Haze caused by fires in Indonesia and Malaysia is a common occurrence during hot, dry seasons.

In 1997 and 1998 choking haze caused mainly by Indonesian forest fires enveloped parts of Southeast Asia including Malaysia for months.

They caused an estimated 9.3 billion dollars in economic losses to the region due to serious health problems, traffic hazards and flight disruptions.